Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Jethro Tull
Label: EMI Records
Release: 1974
Rating: 4/5
With “Warchild”, Ian Anderson and his merry band of prog-rock troubadours returned to more compact songs and, mood-wise, to something a bit brighter and wittier. After the relatively gloomy, ultra-complex concept masterpiece “A Passion Play” (1973), whose concept wrestled with the afterlife, this turnaround was kind of expected. Ian was (totally understandably) disappointed by the brutal reviews from those who didn’t get their ambitious take on where (progressive) rock could go, so the band decided to stop provoking “distinguished” folks with fat wallets and deaf ears for a while. “Warchild” is thus a stylistic return to shorter, more melodic compositions. But Jethro Tull wouldn’t be one of the greatest innovators in the history of (progressive) rock if they hadn’t come up with a fresh approach to their trademark sound this time too.
Most of the tracks on “Warchild” are enriched with orchestral arrangements by longtime collaborator Mr. David Palmer (today better known as Ms. Dee Palmer), to whom the reissue of the album is dedicated. Ian has also expanded his arsenal of saxophones this time, without neglecting his many flute shenanigans in the slightest. Martin “Lancelot” Barre gets more room again for his always inventive and witty guitar passages. The band’s resident clown John Evans serves up some first-rate organ and piano wizardry once more, though his playing sits a little further back this time thanks to all those orchestral arrangements. “The Fisherman” Barrie Barlow lets loose both with his dynamic drumming and with a colorful array of percussion, glockenspiel and marimba, while Jeffrey Hammond certainly isn’t resting whenever an intelligent bass line is called for. Although the orchestral arrangements give most of the tracks a Baroque, Elizabethan flavor, the interplay of saxophones and piano in places also brings a barely perceptible whiff of glam, while their traditional folk-hard rock-flavored sound is, as usual, carried mainly by Ian’s flute and Martin’s guitar.
As unlikely as it seems, “A Passion Play” and “Warchild” are more closely connected than most people would think. Several key tracks on the album, such as “Skating Away On The Thin Ice Of The New Day”, “Bungle In The Jungle” and “Onyl Solitaire”, were written before the “A Passion Play” sessions even began, that is, during the studio debacle at Chateau D’Herouville. The original concept for “A Passion Play” found fertile ground on this very album, which isn’t a concept album as such, but its individual tracks tie into the witty scenes on the back cover. Ian originally planned to turn the songs into a stage show or musical. He even had a film in the works, with John Cleese among the cast, but later changed his mind. Even so, the tour for the album was pretty extravagant, with a chorus of four blondes on stage who took care of the orchestral arrangements as well as the stimulation of the male part of the audience. Ian dropped most of the Monty Python-style humor from the lyrics, but they’re still among the gems of his brilliantly biting mockery and can also serve as a good mirror held up to Western society.
The title track ushers us into the album with the thunderous sounds of sirens, machine guns and explosions that drop us right into the middle of a war, while Ian’s wife asks her hubby if he’d like another cup of tea. The Scottish gentleman naturally declines and instead picks up his flute (and in places the acoustic guitar and saxophone) and dances up to the sax, where, with his ever juicy and charismatic voice laid over a gorgeous piano, he leads us into a witty song that gets a real energetic kick at the first electric guitar break, along with a catchy chorus. The excellent orchestral arrangements in the background and the witty passages on piano, guitar and sax carry the central melody nicely throughout. Especially fun is Ian’s saxophone solo in bolero style right before the main chorus comes back. A very good start, though it only hints at the best stuff on the album.
“Queen And Country” has a strong Baroque flavor, which isn’t surprising since it’s about the “Virgin Queen” herself, Elizabeth I. We get to enjoy another witty number with a great chorus. After the intro with its Baroque arrangement, it tips over into an energetic rhythm, complemented by a solid chorus and excellent guitar passages from Martin in the middle section. A solid piece on which some of their future work would build, work that would also carry that Baroque spirit of the Elizabethan era.
“Ladies”, dedicated to the wives and companions of the band members, is a fairly calm and solid track with a lovely opening melody on acoustic guitar, which is followed by playful percussion and hand claps. It only really opens up with Ian’s excellent flute solo, followed by wonderful orchestral passages. The second half gets a great, cheeky twist courtesy of the sax, drums and guitar, and then it suddenly ends, which is kind of a shame since they could have squeezed a more interesting ending out of it.
“Back-Door Angels”, a sort of cynical dedication to a certain charitable organization, is without doubt one of the best tracks on the album, with all the band’s finest qualities coming to the fore. Symphonic arrangements and folk-rock elements shine in all their glory here. The intro wins you over with Ian’s excellent vocals, the flute and tasteful keyboard passages. And I mustn’t forget another first-rate guitar solo from Martin and Barrie’s dynamic drum fills, which carry the song into an energetic instrumental section. Then the folk-rock-tinged passage with the central chorus comes back. That’s followed by another instrumental section, where we get an excellent hard-rock-flavored solo, tightly interwoven with Hammond organ and a dynamic rhythm section. After constant tempo changes, it wraps up with a great verse. This is without a doubt one of their forgotten classics.
The immensely witty “Sealion”, which pokes fun at circus seals, is another excellent piece. After an electrified opening, thanks to Ian’s mischievous vocals and some hard-rock guitar work, we’re swept into a swaying rhythm that, with its oddly funny, Baroque chorus, completely changes the song’s initial pulse. The middle section brings an interesting leap through first-rate flute solos and some excellent keyboard harmonies. That’s followed by an abrupt ending, where Ian’s wife unsettles us once more with her friendly question. This time the answer is apparently yes, because in the next moment our flinty troubadour/vagabond is cheerfully whistling a little tune and getting the tea ready.
Next up is the unforgettable classic “Skating Away On The Thin Ice Of The New Day”, which also came out as a single and is, in my opinion, the best track on the album. It opens with a gorgeous melody on Ian’s acoustic guitar and his vocals, full of tremendous pathos, helped along by his excellent lyrics, which once again tell of our old acquaintance Aqualung. The very pretty, but above all witty, arrangements on guitar, marimba, accordion, percussion and Hammond organ, plus that excellent chorus, are a real balm for the ears. A classic that’s still held in very high regard among fans of the band and an unavoidable part of their live repertoire.
And this is followed, well well, by yet another classic, “Bungle In The Jungle”, about the city zoo. It’s one of the band’s most commercially successful songs and the only one you might ever catch on your radio despite the animal noises and orchestral arrangements. After the sounds of roaring lions, the flute and witty vocals usher us into the song, joined by guitar passages. Next comes a melodic and extremely catchy chorus, nicely complemented in the background by Palmer’s orchestral arrangements. The second part brings a somewhat more complex symphonic-folk section, with tasteful interplay between acoustic and electric guitar and good orchestral arrangements. Even though it’s one of their most commercial songs, it undoubtedly earned its classic status.
The ballad “Only Solitaire”, dedicated to all the music critics who attacked them right after the release of “A Passion Play”, is a short but pleasant little number built on an energetic, folk-spiced acoustic guitar that creates a calm atmosphere, but watch out for Ian’s barbed lyrics.
“The Third Hoorah”, which opens with an excited whoop of joy, has a genuinely jokey, rah-rah dance vibe, and to my ears Jethro Tull are once again cast as a burlesque brotherhood of bearded Celtic gnomes dancing around a fireplace with their instruments. A masterpiece of progressive folk rock, full of witty transitions and extremely juicy Baroque arrangements, set on a bouncy, almost danceable rhythm and cheeky vocals. After a calm intro on flute and acoustic guitar, gradually joined by the other instruments, which give the piece a Baroque touch, there’s a gorgeous, Celtic-tinged instrumental section, where the Scottish bagpipes impress most (a pity they didn’t use them more often). Someone should remind Ian that it’d be nice to hear them at live shows again too.
The closing “Two Fingers” opens in a fairly calm way, and then solid acoustic guitar passages, slowly starting to intertwine with the electric guitar, carry the piece into folk-rock waters. Again we get to enjoy excellent keyboards, flute, dynamic drums and bass, and electrified guitar passages, while Ian’s vocals once more deliver a joke or two more. Though it’s not among their peaks, and I like the version called “Lick Your Fingers Clean”, which came out on the reissue of the masterpiece “Aqualung” (1971), a lot more, it’s still another classic Tull piece where you can revel in their artful weaving together of folk, symphonic and hard rock elements.
The reissue brings some seriously interesting bonus tracks that were created during the French studio debacle. A few of them can also be found on the double compilation “Nightcap” (1993). These bonus tracks are by no means throwaways, which, honestly, doesn’t surprise me at all. With a bit more polish they’d have turned into excellent pieces, and if the recording space limitations of the time hadn’t gotten in the way, they could easily have fit on the original release.
“Warchild Waltz” is an orchestral version of “Warchild” that, despite having no proper ending, will surely appeal to some classical music fans too. It’s a composition full of grand orchestral arrangements and a witty, dynamic tempo that confirms Palmer’s mastery as arranger and conductor. On “Quartet” they toy with bar jazz in the intro, then, through some dark organ solos, tip their hats to Mr. Bach as well. Another unfinished but interesting and cheeky piece. “Paradise Steakhouse” is an excellent hard rocker with a downright retro feel, reviving the Jethro Tull of the “Aqualung” era, thanks mostly to a classic guitar riff. I really think it’s a real shame this one got left off the original album. “Sealion 2” is quite similar to the album version, except it has different lyrics and extra witty interplay in the middle section. The singing, if you can call it singing, comes from bassist Hammond himself, who accordingly adds a bigger dose of bass too. The orchestral arrangements are missing as well. “Rainbow Blues”, which isn’t bluesy in the slightest, has interesting electric guitar passages joined by witty orchestral arrangements that form the heart of this excellent piece, which with a few minor touch-ups could have come out as a great single. “Glory Row is a solid piece, with witty sax passages, a bouncy rhythm and excellent Spanish guitar parts up front. “Saturation” is marked by classic, hard-rock-flavored riffing from Barre, a waddling rhythm and a sinister chorus. A track fans of their hard rock side will lick their lips over.
My final verdict: “Warchild” is a fairly underrated album that gave the band a nice foundation for their later folk-rock-tinged masterpieces. The cheekiness and lightness of most of the tracks, adorned with splendid orchestral arrangements, as well as a few unforgettable classics, are the main pearls of this album. Someone might come forward claiming that “Warchild” is a progressive step backward compared to the unpredictable and complex “A Passion Play”, partly because it has no concept, which would totally miss the point of progressive rock and the progressive approach to music in general. This is one of those Tull albums that doesn’t require much brain strain, since most of the tracks have recognizable choruses and melodies, without the band dropping their high standards. Its true quality, though, usually only shows after a longer time. Ian and the gang may not have made yet another consecutive masterpiece, but they undoubtedly made another very good album that cemented their status as one of the most consistently high-quality bands in the history of (progressive) rock.
Lineup
Ian Anderson – vocals, flute, acoustic guitar, alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, sopranino saxophone
Martin Barre – electric guitar, Spanish guitar
Barriemore Barlow – drums, glockenspiel, marimba, percussion
Jeffrey Hammond-Hammond – bass guitar, double bass
John Evans – piano, organ, synthesizer, accordion
GUEST MUSICIAN:
David Palmer – orchestration and conducting, members of the Philomusica of London orchestra.
Production
Ian Anderson, Terry Ellis
Track list
1. War Child (4:34)
2. Queen And Country (3:02)
3. Ladies (3:19)
4. Back-Door Angels (5:29)
5. Sealion (3:38)
6. Skating Away On The Thin Ice Of The New Day (3:58)
7. Bungle In The Jungle (3:37)
8. Only Solitaire (1:30)
9. The Third Hoorah (4:51)
10. Two Fingers (5:09)
Album length: 39:07
Bonus tracks from the reissue (2002):
11. Warchild Waltz (4:21)
12. Quartet (2:44)
13. Paradise Steakhouse (4:03)
14. Sealion 2 (3:20)
15. Rainbow Blues (3:40)
16. Glory Row (3:35)
17. Saturation (4:21)
